THE  DESTINED  EFFICIENCY 


I  a  ^na 


^  Vv^.  i  ^ 


OF 


JUVENILE  MISSIONARY  EFFORT. 


BY  THE 


REV.  THOMAS  SMYTH,  D.  D. 


CHARLESTON,  S.  C. 

PRINTED  BY  B.  JENKINS,  1,00  HAYNE-STREET. 

1847. 


THE  DESTINED 


EFFICIENCY  OF  JUVENILE  MISSIONARY  EFFORT. 


The  great  importance  of  the  subject,  and  the  very  partial  at¬ 
tention  which  it  has  yet  received,  lead  me  once  more  to  present 
to  the  churches  the  question  of  Juvenile  missions.  I  will,  on  this 
occasion,  endeavour  to  prove  the  destined  efficiency  of  Juvenile 
Missionary  effort  in  the  evangelization  of  the  world-  This,  I 
think,  is  most  explicitly  taught  by  our  Divine  Redeemer  in 
the  discourse  recorded  in  Matth.  xxi.  12 — 16  :  “  And  Jesus 

went  into  the  temple  of  God,  and  cast  out  all  them  that  sold  and 
bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the  tables  of  the  money  chan¬ 
gers,  and  the  seats  of  them  that  sold  doves,  and  said  unto  them,  It 
is  written,  My  house  shall  be  called  the  house  of  prayer ;  but  ye 
have  made  it  a  den  of  thieves.  And  the  blind  and  the  lame 
came  to  him  in  the  temple,  and  he  healed  them.  And  when  the 
chief  priests  and  scribes  saw  the  wonderful  things  that  he  did, 
and  the  children  crying  in  the  temple,  and  saying.  Hosanna  to 
the  Son  of  David,  they  were  sore  displeased,  and  said  unto  him, 
hearest  thou  what  these  say  ?  And  Jesus  saith  unto  them.  Yea, 
have  ye  never  read.  Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings 
thou  hast  perfected  praise  ?” 

This  whole  narrative  is  strictly  historical,  and  cannot  therefore 
be  interpreted  as  merely  figurative.  These  children  were  in  the 
temple,  most  probably  for  the  purpose  of  worship,  and  when  our 
Saviour  entered,  they  were  led  to  apply  to  Him  as  the  Son  of 
David,  that  language  which  the  occasion  required  them  to  offer 
unto  the  Lord  Jehovah.  This  worship  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
not  only  permitted,  but  approved,  and  in  opposition  to  the  scorn 
and  contumely  of  the  ‘‘  chief  priests  and  scribes,”  justified  by 
an  express  quotation  of  scripture. 

The  reference  made  in  these  words  is  to  the  eighth  psalm, 


4 


which  celebrates  the  praises  of  God  for  our  redemption  by  that 
Divine  Redeemer  who  was  made  “  a  little,”  or  “  for  a  little 
while,”  ‘‘  lower  than  the  angels,”  and  who  “  having  put  all  things 
under  his  feet,  was  crowned  with  glory  and  honor.” 

This  Psalm  is  applied  directly  to  Christ  by  the  apostle  Paul  in 
three  different  passages.  (Heb.  ii.  7.  1  Cor.  xv.  7.  Eph.  i. 

22.)  It  is  introduced  by  the  following  glowing  language.  “  O 
Lord,  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  the  earth,  who 
hast  set  thy  glory  above  the  heavens.”  But  by  whom  is  this 
excellency  declared  ?  Not  by  “  the  wise  and  prudent,”  but  by 
“  babes  ;”  not  by  the  great,  the  mighty,  and  the  learned,  but  by 
those  who  are  in  comparison  as  children,  and,  in  some  good  meas¬ 
ure,  even  by  children  themselves. 

Such  precisely  is  thc'  meaning  attached  to  the  Psalm  in  the 
application  made  of  it  in  the  passage  of  the  New  Testament  now 
under  consideration.  The  doctrine  which  it  unfolds  and  presses 
upon  our  attention  is  therefore  twofold, — general  and  particular. 
It  announces  a  general  law  in  the  spiritual  government  of  God’s 
kingdom,  and  a  particular  illustration  of  that  general  law  :  The 
general  truth  here  promulgated,  is  that  God  employs  means, 
in  themselves  feeble,  for  the  accomplishment  of  His  purposes. 
And  the  particular  illustration  of  this  doctrine  is,  that  children 
are  designed  to  constitute  an  important  agency  in  the  further¬ 
ance  of  God’s  glory,  and  the  extension  of  His  kingdom. 

In  the  first  place,  then,  there  is  in  this  passage  an  announce¬ 
ment  of  a  general  law  in  God’s  moral  administration,  and 
that  is,  that  in  the  accomplishment  of  His  purposes,  God  employs 
feeble  and  inefficient  means.  For  in  the  estimation  of  the 
world,  the  ministry  of  the  word,  the  means  of  grace,  and  the 
influence,  example  and  agency  of  individual  Christians,  are  as 
weak  and  inefficient  as  are  “  babes  and  sucklings.”  And  yet  by 
this  instrumentality,  God  secures  the  grandest  results,  even  the 
salvation  of  all  that  believe,  the  completion  of  His  own  designs, 
the  glorious  triumph  of  the  Redeemer,  and  the  everlasting  bles¬ 
sedness  of  heaven. 

This  is  God’s  general  plan  of  working,  both  in  the  kingdoms 
of  nature,  of  providence,  and  of  grace. 


The  efficient  agencies  in  nature  are,  for  the  most  part,  invis* 
ible,  inscrutable,  and  when  discoverable,  of  the  simplest  charac¬ 
ter.  Such  are  all  the  laws  and  processes  of  nature.  Such  are 
attraction,  gravitation,  light  and  life.  Those  changes  too  in 
the  natural  world  on  which  depend  the  fate  and  the  food  of  miU 
lions  are  the  result  of  the  operations  of  minute,  and,  in  some 
cases  of  imperceptible  animals.  Thus  it  is  to  the  polypes  spe¬ 
cies  of  Zoophytes  that  the  origin  of  the  coral  islands,  reefs,  and  I 
may  say  continents,  of  the  Pacific  and  other  tropical  seas,  are 
principally  ascribed  — extending  as  these  now  do,  some  7000  miles, 
and  increasing  as  they  are  daily.  These  worms  of  the  dust  are 
justly  reckoned  the  principal  operators  in  the  mutations  of  the 
bed  of  every  tropical  sea,  as  they  were  in  the  bed  of  the  primeval 
seas.  They  roughen  the  bottom  and  fill  up  the  shallows  in 
every  shallow  sea.  They  occupy  the  tops  of  reefs  in  deeper  ones 
and  bar  up  the  entrances  to  harbours  and  lagoons.  They  cap 
sub-marine  mountains  and  bring  them  to  the  surface  and  they  lay 
up  every  where  the  materials  for  the  formation  of  future  quar» 
ries  of  lime-stone. 

And  here  we  may  notice  an  opinion  which  has  found  its  advo¬ 
cates  in  every  period  of  the  history  of  medicine,  that  most  con¬ 
tagious  diseases,  fevers,  and  plagues  originate  from  animalcules 
introduced  into  the  body,  and  which  are  propagated  by  their  commu¬ 
nication  to  other  bodies  through  the  medium  of  the  atmosphere. 
Linnaeus  was  a  believer  in  this  hypothesis,  which  has  recently 
been  supported  with  much  ingenuity,  by  Dr.  Holland.  “  And 
we  admit^’  says  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica  “  that  no  more  pro¬ 
bable  cause  of  many  pestilences,  and  especially  of  cholera,  has 
been  assigned.” 

Such  are  the  instrumentalities  employed  by  God  in  accom¬ 
plishing  his  purposes  in  the  kingdom  of  nature.  And  just  such 
is  the  manner  of  God’s  working  in  the  kingdom  of  providence. 
The  mightiest  results  are  made  to  flow  from  the  weakest  agencies 
and  the  most  unlikely  causes.  This  subject  is  well  illustrated  in 
his  own  striking  manner  and  in  a  very  recent  paper  by  old 
Humphrey.* 

*See  The  (London)  Visitor  for  March  1847,  by  Lond.  Tract  Soc. 


6 


*‘A  grain  of  wheat  is  sown  in  the  ground,  that  springs  up  again 
in  a  cluster  of  goodly  ears.  In  their  turn  the  grains  of  these 
ears  are  cast  into  the  soil,  and  bring  forth  fifty  and  a  hundred 
fold  ;  which  abundant  produce  being  committed  to  the  earth,  year 
after  year,  fails  not  to  multiply  exceedingly,  till  a  wide-spreading 
harvest  is  seen  to  cover  the  ground — small  in  the  beginning,  but 
the  end  is  very  great. 

Myriads  of  golden  ears  adorn  the  plain, 

The  goodly  produce  of  a  single  grain, 

I  took  an  acorn  in  my  hand,  and  walked  with  it  to  a  grassy 
field,  where  lay  a  giant  oak,  that  the  woodman  with  his  axe 
had  brought  to  the  ground.  Its  bark  had  been  stripped  off  for  the 
tanner,  its  leaves  were  collected  for  the  dyer,  its  boughs  had  been 
lopped  for  the  carpenter  and  charcoal-burner,  and  its  huge  trunk, 
an  enormous  ruin,  was  intended  for  the  use  of  the  ship-builder. 
I  looked  at  the  acorn — the  beginning  !  I  surveyed  the  oak — the 
end  !  And  did  that,  which  seemed  a  burden  to  the  ground,  really 
spring  from  a  light  seed,  similar  to  what  I  held  in  my  hand  ? 
Wonderful !  wonderful ! 

In  the  morning  of  a  summer’s  day  I  visited  a  stream  that 
trickled  from  a  mountain’s  side,  and  before  the  sun  declined 
I  sailed  on  a  flowing  river,  which  poured  its  rushing 
waters  into  the  mighty  deep.  The  trickling  stream  was  the  be¬ 
ginning,  the  flowing  river  was  the  end  ;  for  the  former,  fed  by 
tributary  currents,  had  formed  the  latter.  How  limited  and 
feeble  was  the  one  ! — how  expanded  and  powerful  the  other  ! 

From  acorns  springing,  oaks  arrest  our  eyes ! 

Where  streamlets  run  there  mighty  rivers  rise. 

In  the  year  1666,  London  abounded  in  wealth,  A  part  of  the 
south  side  of  Cheapside,  then  called  Goldsmiths’-row,  was  a 
complete  row  of  goldsmiths’  shops,  glittering  and  sparkling  with 
gold  and  silver  plate.  The  Strand  was  a  street  of  large 
mansions,  or  rather  of  goodly  palaces  of  the  nobility,  with 
gardens  stretching  down  to  the  Thames.  Great  was  the  gran¬ 
deur  and  the  wealth  of  London  ;  but  neither  wealth  nor  gran¬ 
deur  could  keep  out  the  plague  !  The  beginning  was  small,  but 
the  end  was  great.  At  first  one  victim  sickened,  then  another, 
and  they  were  carried  quietly  to  their  graves ;  little  was  it  sup¬ 
posed  that  the  pestilence  would  spread  as  it  did  through  the  city, 
but  so  it  was ;  and  scores,  hundreds,  nay  thousands,  died  week¬ 
ly  !  The  doleful  cry  of  “  Bring  out  your  dead,”  and  the  rumbling 
carts  laden  with  mortality,  afflicted  the  ear.  Five  thousand  vic¬ 
tims  in  one  week  were  carried  to  the  grave.  The  shops  were 
closed;  people  shunned  each  other  in  the  streets;  grass  grew  on 
the  Royal  Exchange;  and  Whitechapel  might  have  been  mis¬ 
taken  for  green  fields.  When  such  wide-spread  calamitous 
ending  proceed  from  such  limited  beginnings,  well  may  we  pray 


to  be  preserved  from  the,  “arrow  that  flieth  by  day,  and  th& 
pestilence  that  walketh  in  darkness,”  Psa.  xci.  5,  6. 

It  was  on  the  2nd  of  September,  in  the  same  year,  1666, 
when  midnight  had  shrouded  the  great  city,  and  slumber  had 
sealed  up  the  senses  of  ils  inhabitants,  that  a  fire  broke  out,  near 
the  spot  where  the  Monument  now  stands.  Every  one  was  made 
acquainted  with  its  ending,  though  no  one  could  describe  its  be* 
ginning.  It  might  be  that  a  spark  in  some  chimney  took  fire,  or 
that  a  half-smoked  pipe,  with  the  tobacco  burning,  was  thought¬ 
lessly  thrown  among  shavings,  or  that  some  negligent  master 
or  mistress,  or  servant  girl,  put  out  a  candle  carelessly.  I  can 
fancy  that  I  see  the  extinguished  taper  standing  on  the  litile  table 
of  a  close  room,  near  the  bed-curtains.  A  small  portion  of  the 
snuff  of  the  candle  has  fallen  on  the  table-cover,  and  a  spark  of 
fire,  is  seen  in  the  midst  of  it.  The  spark  is  almost  gone  out, 
nay  it  must  go  out,  if  it  does  not  catch  one  of  the  fine  threads  of 
the  table-cover.  The  spark  runs  along  a  thread,  and  in  its 
course  sets  other  threads  on  fire  ;  a  piece  of  curl-paper  is 
now  lighted  at  its  edge — it  flares  upward — it  has  caught  the  cap, 
hanging  on  the  cap-stand — the  cap,  nay  the  bed-curtains,  are 
'  on  fire.  The  slumberer  awakes  half  suffocated  and  hurries  from 
the  chamber,  unconscious  that  her  own  carelessness  occasioned 
the  calamity.  And  now  the  flame  rapidly  spreads  to  the  bed- 
stead,  the  table,  the  floor,  and  the  window-frames.  The  glass  panes 
fly,  the  fresh  air  feeds  the  fire — the  ceiling  falls,  the  rafters  are 
blazing — the  adjoining  houses,  one  by  one,  are  involved  in  the 
catastrophe,  till  the  whole  street  is  wrapped  in  a  sheet  of  fire. 

Now  the  conflagration  is  fearful.  As  it  gathers  strength  it 
runs  down  to  the  bridge,  wrapping  Magnus  Church  in  flames  on 
its  way.  After  burning  down  the  houses  on  the  bridge,  it  hurries 
back  to  the  city,  like  a  giant  tossing  about  firebrands  in  sport. 
Thames-street  is  in  a  glow — people  hurry  to  their  windows,  and 
“  Fire  !  fire !  fire  !”  is  the  universal  cry.  On  goes  the  flame, 
roaring  like  a  hundred  blast  furnaces;  houses,  churches,  and 
streets  add  to  the  general  conflagration.  Hour  after  hour,  day 
after  day,  and  night  after  night,  hurries  on  the  relentless  ele¬ 
ment,  sparing  nothing  that  it  meets  in  its  all-devouring  course. 
Its  beginning  was  a  spark  of  fire — its  ending  is  the  destruction  of 
a  city.  Ten  millions  of  property  is  destroyed!  Halls,  ancient 
edifices,  hospitals,  schools,  libraries,  eighty-nine  churches,  four 
hundred  and  thirty  streets,  thirteen  thousand  two  hundred  dwell¬ 
ing-houses!  From  the  Tower  by  the  Thames  side  to  the  Temple 
Church,  and  from  the  north-east  part  of  the  city  wall  to  Holborn, 
all  is  a  fiery,  smoking  ruin.  Think  of  this,  ye  careless  ones! 
and  reflect  on  beginnings  and  endings. 

The  beginnings  of  sin  are  often  too  small  for  the  powers  of  the 
magnifying  glass  to  discover.  The  seeds  of  selfishness,  covetous¬ 
ness,  ambition,  and  cruelty,  are  smaller  even  than  the  mustard 
seed,  spoken  of  in  holy  writ  as  the  smallest  of  all  seeds,  and  yet 


these  brought  forth  the  unholy  Ir.quisition,  and  the  greater  part 
of  the  murderous  wars  that  have  wasted  the  world.  It  has 
been  computed,  if  the  seeds  of  an  elm-tree  were  sown,  every 
seed  bringing  lorth  a  tree,  and  the  seeds  of  all  the  trees  a- 
gain  sown  in  succession,  that  in  the  third  or  fourth  generations 
there  would  be  elms  enough  to  cover  the  superficies  of  the 
earth  and  the  whole  planetary  system.  What  an  elm-seed  is 
sin  !  what  trees  of  evil  spring  from  it !  and  what  innumerable 
scions  of  iniquity  branch  out  on  every  hand  !  He  who  has  not 
yet  reflected  on  the  beginnings  and  endings  of  sin,  has  a  suitable 
subject  for  his  meditations ! 

What  endless  griefs  on  human  hearts 
Have  evil  actions  hurl’d  ! 

What  shadows,  plagues,  and  poisoned  darts 
Has  sin  flung  on  the  world  !'’ 

In  further  illustration  of  this  law  of  providence,  I  remark  that  a 
simple  tree  in  the  garden  of  Eden  was  made  the  seal  of  God’s 
covenant,  and  the  eating  of  its  forbidden  fruit  the  occasion  of 
temporal,  spiritual,  and  eternal  death. 

A  serpent  of  brass  was  made  the  medium  of  deliverance  and  - 
healing  in  the  wilderness.  Moses,  an  outcast  slave-child, 
was  the  chosen  mediator,  lawgiver,  and  deliverer  of  the  whole 
Jewish  people,  and  David,  a  despised  shepherd  youth — the 
champion  and  king  of  Israel.  Esther,  also,  one  of  their  greatest 
benefactors,  was  a  weak  and  timid  woman.  And  the  prophets 
— who  were  they  ? — but  humble  and  unambitious  men.  Such, 
too,  were  the  apostles  and  the  first  heralds  of  the  cross. 

Indeed  the  whole  plan  and  method  of  salvation,  are  founded 
upon  this  principle  of  the  divine  economy.  Of  the  simplicity,  and 
absolute  rejection  of  all  human  agency  manifested  in  the  gospel 
scheme,  we  have  most  striking  illustrations  in  the  ancient  cure 
of  Naaman,  and  the  cures  performed  by  Christ. 

And  if  we  look  to  what  God  has  wrought,”  in  modern  times, 
how  conspicuously  does  He  display  the  working  of  this  principle. 

Luther  under  God  was  the  chosen  instrument  for  giving  voice, 
coherence  and  power  to  the  gathering  sounds  of  protestation  and 
alarm  with  which  that  spiritual  despotism  which  “sat  in  the 
temple  of  God  as  God,”  had  long  been  denounced.  And  who 
was  Luther  ?  A  poor  unthought  of  student  in  the  monastery 
of  Erfurth. 

The  young  student,  says  D’Aubigne,  passed  in  the  university 
library  all  the  time  he  could  snatch  from  his  academical  pursuits. 


9 


Cooks  were  as  yet  rare,  and  it  was  a  great  privilege  for  him  to 
profit  by  the  treasures  brought  together  in  this  vast  collection. 
One  day — he  had  then  been  two  years  at  Erfurth,  and  was 
twenty  years  old — he  opens  many  books  in  the  library,  one  after 
another,  to  learn  the  writers'  names  One  volume  that  he  comes 
to  attracts  his  attention.  He  has  never  until  this  hour  seen  its 
like.  He  reads  the  title:  it  is  a  Bible!  a  rare  book,  unknown 
in  those  times.  His  interest  is  greatly  excited:  he  is  filled 
with  astonishment  at  finding  other  matters  than  those  fragments 
of  the  Gospels  and  epistles  that  the  church  has  selected  to  be 
read  to  the  people  during  public  worship  every  Sunday  throughout 
the  year.  Until  this  day  he  had  imagined  that  they  composed 
the  whole  Word  of  God,  and  now  he  sees  so  many  pages,  so 
many  chapters,  so  many  books  of  which  he  had  had  no  idea  ! 
His  heart  beats  as  he  holds  the  Divinely  inspired  volume  in  his 
hand.  With  eagerness  and  with  indescribable  emotion  he  turns 
over  these  leaves  from  God. 

The  first  page  on  which  he  fixes  his  attention  narrates  the 
story  of  Hannah  and  the  young  Samuel.  He  reads,  and  his 
soul  can  hardly  contain  the  joy  he  feels.  This  child  whom  his 
parents  “lend  to  the  Lord  as  long  as  he  liveth,”  the  song  of 
Hannah,  in  which  she  declares  that  Jehovah  “  raiseth  up  the 
poor  out  of  the  dust,  and  lifteth  the  beggar  from  the  dunghill,  to 
set  them  among  princes;”  this  child  who  grew  up  in  the  temple 
in  the  presence  of  the  Lord  ;  those  sacrificers,  the  sons  of  Eli, 
who  are  wicked  men,  who  live  in  debauchery,  and  “  make  the 
Lord’s  people  to  transgress;”  all  this  history,  all  this  revelation 
that  he  had  just  discovered,  excites  feelings  till  then  unknown. 
He  returns  home  with  a  full  heart.  “Oh,  that  God  would  give 
me  such  a  book  for  myself,”  thought  he. 

Luther  was  as  yet  ignorant  both  of  Greek  and  Hebrew.  It 
is  scarcely  probable  that  he  had  studied  these  languages  during 
the  first  two  or  three  years  of  his  residence  at  the  university. 
The  Bible  that  had  filled  him  with  such  transports  was  in  Latin. 
He  soon  returned  to  the  library  to  pore  over  his  treasure.  He 
read  it  again  and  again,  and  there  in  his  astonishment  and  joy, 
he  returned  to  read  it  once  more.  The  first  glimmerings  of  a 
new  truth  were  then  beginning  to  dawn  upon  his  mind. 

Thus  had  God  led  him  to  the  discovery  of  his  Word — of  that 
book  of  which  he  was  one  day  to  give  his  fellow-countrymen  that 
admirable  translation  in  which  Germany  has  for  three  centuries 
perused  the  oracles  of  God. 

And  thus  did  God  fire  Luther’s  energies  with  that  zeal  which 
made  him  “mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of  the  strong 
holds  of  sin  and  Satan.”  And,  if  we  consult  history,  who  else 
shines  forth  in  the  dark  sky  of  humanity,  and  gather  around 
their  course  the  increasing  light  and  glory  of  moral  and  spiri- 


>  - 


10 

tual  renovation?  We  naust  look  to  Wickliffe,  and  Huss,  and 
Jerome  of  Prague,  and  Calvin,  and  Tyndale,  and  Knox,  and 
Whitfield,  and  Wesley,  and  Bunyan — the  very  men  whom  the 
world  knew  not  and  esteemed  not. 

Neither  has  this  manner  of  the  divine  working  been  accidental, 
partial  or  occasional.  It  was  adopted  by  God  in  the  spiritual 
world,  and  not  in  the  natural  and  moral  world  only,  as  His  chosen 
and  designed  law  and  policy  of  procedure.  This  is  fully  de¬ 
clared,  as  it  is  in  other  passages,  by  the  Apostle  Paul  in  1  Cor.  i. 
17-30  :  where  he  fully  developes  the  purpose  and  the  plan  of 
God. 

“For  Christ  sent  me  not  to  baptize,  but  to  preach  the  gos¬ 
pel  :  not  with  wisdom  of  words,  lest  the  cross  of  Christ  should 
be  made  of  none  effect.  For  the  preaching  of  the  cross  is  to  them 
that  perish,  foolishness;  but  unto  us  which  are  saved,  it  is  the 
power  of  God.  For  it  is  written,  I  will  destroy  the  wisdom  of 
the  wise,  and  will  bring  to  nothing  the  understanding  of  the  pru¬ 
dent:  Where  is  the  wise  ?  where  is  the  scribe  ?  where  is  the 
disputer  of  this  world  ?  hath  not  God  made  foolish  the  wisdom  of 
this  world?  For  after  that  in  the  wisdom  of  God,  the  world  by 
wisdom  knew  not  God,  it  pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of 
preaching  to  save  them  that  believe.  For  the  Jews  require  a 
sign,  and  the  Greeks  seek  after  wisdom:  But  we  preach  Christ 
crucified,  unto  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block,  and  unto  the  Greeks 
foolishness ;  But  unto  them  which  are  called,  both  Jews  and 
Greeks,  Christ  the  power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God.  Be¬ 
cause  the  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  men ;  and  the  weak¬ 
ness  of  God  is  stronger  than  men.  For  ye  see  your  calling, 
brethren,  how  that  not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not  many 
mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called :  But  God  hath  chosen  the 
foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  wise;  and  God  hath 
chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  things 
which  are  mighty ;  And  base  things  of  the  world,  and  things 
which  are  despised,  hath  God  chosen,  yea,  and  things  which  are  not, 
to  bring  to  nought  things  that  are  ;  That  no  flesh  should  glory  in 
his  presence.  But  of  him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is 


11 


made  unto  us  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and 
redemption.” 

That  such  is  the  plan  of  the  divine  procedure  may  therefore  be 
regarded  as  established  both  by  Scripture  and  by  facts,  and  that  it 
is  in  accordance  with  the  wisdom  manifested  by  God  in  every 
part  of  His  works  and  ways,  might  be  proved  by  many  reasons: 
I  shall  only,  how'ever,  mention  three. 

And,  in  the  first  place,  by  thus  employing  feeble  means  in 
the  accomplishment  of  great  results,  God  best  promotes  His  own 
glory.  He  thus  leads  men  necessarily  to  the  belief  of  His  exis¬ 
tence  and  perfections.  For  by  an  inherent  law  of  our  moral  con¬ 
stitution,  we  are  led  to  trace  up  effects  to  causes,  and  to  seek 
therefore  forevery  effect  a  cause  adequate  to  its  production. 
And  hence  when  there  is  no  adequate  material  or  visible  cause 
sufficient  to  account  for  any  phenomena,  we  are  led  to  seek  for 
such  a  cause  in  that  which  is  immaterial  and  invisible.  ‘‘  The 
eternal  power  and  Godhead”  of  the  great  Creator  are  thus  ‘^clearly 
seen,  being  understood  by  the  things  that  are  seen  and  visible,” 
so  that  men  who  question  or  deny  the  existence,  providence  and 
law's  of  God,  are  without  excuse.” 

And  since,  as  has  been  seen,  the  same  course  is  pursued  by  the 
author  of  nature,  who  every  where  works  by  invisible,  secret, 
or  feeble  instrumentalities,  God  by  pursuing  the  same  plan  in 
the  kingdoms  of  providence  and  of  grace,  identifies  Himself 
as  the  God  of  grace  with  the  God  of  nature  and  of  provi¬ 
dence,  and  draws  towards  Himself  the  concentrated  lustre  of  all 
His  works  and  of  all  His  ways. 

The  glory  of  God  in  all  His  attributes  and  perfections  is 
thus  illustrated.  And  as  the  welfare  of  the  universe  depends 
upon  the  proper  recognition  and  reflection  of  this  glory  of  God, 
it  is  infinitely  important  and  as  unspeakably  beneficent,  that 
it  should  be  made  conspicuous  in  every  possible  way. 

In  the  very  insignificance  and  weakness  of  the  instrumentalities 
He  employs  the  ‘‘  strength”  of  God  is  ‘‘  perfectly”  displayed,  and 
He  is  proved  to  be  “  almighty.”  In  their  utter  insufficiency  to 
accomplish  any  result.  His  power  is  magnified.  And  in  their 
ignorance  and  fatuity,  the  wisdom,  skill,  and  every  other  moral 


12 


quality  of  God,  are  brightly  reflected  to  the  praise  and  glory 
of  His  adorable  name. 

But  secondly,  by  this  course  of  proceedure  God  best  secures 
the  real  ultimate  good  of  His  creatures  here  below.  The  two 
great  evils  of  fallen  humanity,  are  pride  and  independence, 
which  lead  to  ungodliness,  to  atheistic  unbelief,  and  to  that  en¬ 
mity  and  carnality  which  are  the  fruitful  source  of  manifold 
iniquities.  Now  in  no  way  could  “  the  axe”  be  more  effectually 
laid  “to  the  root”  of  this  prolific  tree  of  evil,  than  by  the  nothingness 
which  is  attached  to  all  the  might,  and  power,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength  of  man,  it  being  ^made  manifest  in  every  department  of 
God’s  kingdom,  that  as  by  Him  all  things  have  their  being,  so  by 
Him  do  they  subsist,  and  from  Him  do  they  derive  their  power. 
Man  is  thus  humbled  while  God  is  exalted  “  over  all  as  blessed 
forever.” 

But  thirdly,  another  beneficial  result  of  this  course  of  proce¬ 
dure  on  the  part  of  God  is  the  encouragement  it  affords  to  his 
obedient  and  willing  creatures  in  undertaking  any  and  every  duty 
required  by  God.  “  With  man”  such  duties  may  be  “impossible, 
but  with  God  all  things  are  possible.”  In  ourselves  we  are  im¬ 
potent,  but  “  our  sufficiency  is  of  God,  by  whom  we  can  do  all 
things.”  “  If  God  therefore,  be  for  us,”  vain  is  all  the  resist¬ 
ance  made  against  us,  since  whatever  He  commands  us  to  do  He 
will  enable  us  to  accomplish.  What  God  did  for  Joshua  at  Je¬ 
richo  and  for  Gideon,  He  will  do  for  us.  When  God  goes  before  us 
as  “  the  breaker,”  and  “the  captain  of  salvation,”  “one  shall  chase 
a  thousand,  and  two  put  ten  thousand  to  flight.”  When  God 
teaches  our  fingers  to  fight.  He  will  put  our  enemies  to  shame, 
and  make  even  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him. 

Never,  therefore,  let  Christians  despair  when  they  have  a  work 
to  do  for  God  and  his  glory.  Though  the  result  of  these  efforts, 
in  any  case,  to  use  the  language  of  Dr.  Porter,  should  not  be  so  im¬ 
mediate  as  we  could  wish,  we  are  called  to  the  exercise  of  faith, 
and  patience,  and  courage,  not  despondency.  The  first  question  is, 
in  eyery  such  cdise,  Is  this  a  good  object  ?  The  second  is,  By  what 
means  shall  it  he  accomplished  ?  Settle  these ;  and  there  is  no  third 
question.  To  deliberate  whether  such  an  object  shall  not  be  given 
over,  is  beneath  the  dignity  and  energy  of  Christian  principles.  I 
know  that  the  cause  of  piety  and  good  morals  has  stubborn  obstacles 
to  encounter.  The  majority  of  the  world  is  against  it.  Still  the 


13 


friend  of  this  cause  may  say,  with  fearless  confidence,  like  the 
prophet’s  servant,  they  that  be  with  us,  are  more  than  they  that 
be  with  them.”  Here  again  let  facts  speak  our  instruction. 

The  disciples  of  Christ  were  once  a  feeble,  despised  sect  at 
Jerusalem.  The  Jewish  Senate  deliberated  whether  to  crush  this 
sect  at  a  stroke,  or  to  let  it  die  of  itself.  But  behold,  “the 
weakness  of  God  is  stronger  than  men.”  Twelve  fishermen  of 
Galilee,  without  learning,  without  power,  without  friends,  erected 
the  standard  of  the  cross.  Hosts  of  opposition  gave  way  before 
the  triumphs  of  truth :  and  all  the  wealth  and  wisdom,  the 
pride  and  prejudice,  the  power  and  policy  of  the  world,  could  not 
resist  its  progress. 

But  we  need  not  survey  past  centuries.  The  astonishing  events 
which  we  have  recently  witnessed,  rebuke  despondence  in  doing 
good. 

Look  at  the  Concert  of  Prayer.  A  few  British  Christians,  in  a 
private  chamber,  resolved  to  set  apart  an  hour  on  the  first  Monday 
evening  of  every  month,  to  pray  for  the  revival  of  religion.  The 
flame  spread  from  minister  to  minister,  and  from  church  to  church, 
till  it  reached  the  extremities  of  the  empire  in  which  it  began. 
From  Britain  the  same  spirit  has  been  kindled,  in  various  parts  of 
Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  America. 

It  is  no  enthusiasm  to  hope  that  all  Christendom  will  soon  unite 
in  this  concert;  and  that  the  spirits  of  Luther,  and  Baxter,  and 
Edwards,  will  look  down  from  their  abodes  of  light,  to  witness  the 
church,  resting  from  her  long  conflict  and  agony;  and  her  pravers, 
from  every  part  of  the  globe,  ascending  in  one  great  cloud  of 
incense  to  heaven. 

Look  at  the  little  band  of  men  who  formed  the  first  Missionary 
Society  in  modern  times.  With  means  utterly  incompetent  to  the 
magnitude  of  their  undertaking,  they  assumed  a  motto  worthy  of 
the  apostolic  age:  “Expect  great  things,  attempt  great  things.” 
The  history  of  their  labours  and  successes  demonstrates,  that  no 
obstacles  are  too  great  to  be  surmounted,  no  enterprise  of  Christian 
benevolence  is  too  arduous  to  be  undertaken  in  the  strength  of  the 
Lord. 

Look  at  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  In  twenty  years 
from  its  establishment,  it  distributed  more  than  four  millions  of 
Bibles  and  Testaments,  filled  the  world  with  kindred  societies  and 
the  fruits  of  its  beneficence,  and  its  annual  expenditures  for  this 
sacred  object  amounted  to  little  less  than  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

Look  at  the  British  Tract  Society.  At  its  fourteenth  anniversary, 
one  of  its  founders  said,  “I  have  followed  this  Society  from  its 
birth :  at  first  we  could  not  number  more  friends  than  would 
surround  this  table.  But  this  infant  has  become  a  Samson  in 
strength.”  Twenty-six  years  from  its  establishment  it  had  an 
annual  income  of  forty  thousand  dollars  ;  and  had  distributed  more 
than  seventy  millions  of  Religious  Tracts,  in  various  languages, 


14 


which  have  gone  as  winged  messengers  of  salvation  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth.  They  have  preached  the  Gospel  in  the  splendid  mansion 
and  in  the  humble  cottage.  They  have  carried  instruction  ‘‘to 
the  child  in  the  school,  to  the  traveller  on  the  road,  to  the  soldier 
in  the  cam.p,  to  the  seaman  on  the  mighty  waters,  to  the  victim  of 
disease  in  the  hospital,  and  to  the  debtor,  the  captive  and  the 
criminal  within  the  walls  of  the  prison.” 

Look  at  the  wonderful  efforts  to  do  good,  which  our  own  country 
exhibits.  Time  would  fail  to  mention  the  Societies  for  promoting 
Domestic  and  Foreign  Missions,*  Bible  Societies,  Tract,  Education, 
and  other  charitable  Associations,  which  have  recently  sprung  up 
without  number,  and  some  which  are  among  the  noblest  institutions 
of  the  age. 

I  ask  you  now,  brethren,  to  review  this  subject.  Survey  the 
world  in  motion:  the  wonderful  characteristics  of  this  age  of  action. 
Then  look  at  the  dear,  immortal  children,  in  your  families  and 
schools:  then  look  forward  into  future  generations,  and  into  eternity; 
and  say, — have  you  not  a  great  work  to  accomplish  ?  Every 
man  woman,  and  child,  can  do  something — can  do  much.  Who 
cannot  spare  one  cent,  to  buy  a  small  Tract?  That  Tract,  dropped 
on  the  high  road,  or  given  to  a  stranger,  may  carry  comfort  to  some 
desponding,  or  conviction  to  some  careless  heart ;  may  reclaim 
some  profligate,  awaken  some  drunkard  to  sobriety,  some  Sabbath- 
breaker  or  swearer  to  saving  reformation. 

The  day  is  coming,  when  men  will  be  accustomed  to  reckon  the 
establishment  of  a  Tract  or  Moral  Society,  or  a  prayer  meetings 
among  the  instruments  of  ushering  in  the  glory  of  the  church,  and 
the  salvation  of  the  world.  It  is  not  improbable  that  eternity  will 
disclose  to  us,  how  the  astonishing  events  of  this  age  sprung  at  first 
from  the  closet  of  some  obscure  saint,  like  Simeon  and  Anna  of 
old,  “  praying  to  God  always,  and  waiting  for  the  consolation  of 
Israel.” 

Courage,  then,  brethren!  Stand  up  to  your  work,  and  go  forward. 
God  is  with  you.  The  struggle  betwixt  sin  and  righteousness  is 
drawing  to  a  close.  The  storm  which  has  agitated  the  church  is 
ceasing  to  rage.  “  The  long  night  of  discord  and  calamity  which 
has  enveloped  the  world,  is  passing  into  a  glorious  day.  With 
humble  hope  and  joy,  we  hail  the  approaching  consummation  of 
the  prophetic  word,  when  the  seventh  angel  shall  sound,  and  great 
voices  be  heard  in  heaven,  saying,  “  The  kingdoms  of  this  world 
are  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ,  and  he 
shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever  :  Alleluia  !  Amen.” 

I  have  thus  endeavoured  in  my  previous  remarks  to  illustrate 
the  general  law  of  God’s  kingdom  of  grace  as  laid  down  in 
many  passages  of  Scripture,  and  of  which  the  whole  history 

*  In  1808,  the  spirit  of  Foreign  Missions,  which  has  since  excited  a  deeper 
interest  in  the  American  churches  than  any  other  subject  ever  did,  was  confined 
to  the  bosom  of  two  or  three  pious  young  men,  with  whom  it  originated. 


15 


of  the  church  is  a  constant  and  standing  illustration.  “  It  is 

NOT  BY  MIGHT  NOR  BY  POWER,  BUT  MY  SpiRIT  SAITH  THE 
Lord”— this  is  the  unvarying  lesson  enforced  by  every  page  of 
the  Church’s  history,  and  by  every  fact  in  her  experience. 

But  there  is  a  particular  illustration  of  this  general  law  presented 
in  these  passages,  to  which  I  invite  special  consideration,  and  that  is, 
that  the  agency  of  the  young  is  designed  to  be  an  efficient  and 
powerful  instrumentality  in  the  conversion  of  the  world.  Through 
them  praise  will  redound  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  out  of  their 
weak  and  feeble  instrumentality  “  God  will  perfect  strength”  for 
securing  the  accomplishment  of  all  the  glorious  things  He  has 
spoken  of  the  future  universal  triumph  of  the  gospel. 

We  are  thus  taught  that  it  is  in  accordance  with  God’s  wisdom  to 
employ  the  instrumentality  of  the  young  in  the  great  work 
of  the  world’s  conversion  ;  and  that  it  is  an  exemplification 
of  that  tender  mercy  which  leads  the  High  and  lofty  one”  to 
“  dwell  with  those  who  are  of  a  humble  and  a  contrite  heart,” 
to  work  even  in  the  hearts  of  children  “  to  will  and  to  do  of  His 
good  pleasure.” 

We  are  thus  taught  as  an  undoubted  fact,  that  children  are  a 
constituent  part  of  Christ’s  Church,  for  “  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  and  that  being  so,  they  must  be  intended  for  some  useful 
purpose,  since  there  are  no  drones  in  God’s  hive,  no  idlers  in  His 
camp,  no  sitters  at  ease  in  His  family,  no  unemployed  workmen 
in  His  vineyard,  and  no  supernumerary  or  sinecure  offices  in  His 
household. 

All  the  circumstances  of  the  narrative,  on  which  especially 
I  found  the  doctrine  now  enforced,  are,  as  I  have  shown,  literal 
and  historical;  while  the  very  design  of  the  quotation  from  the 
Old  Testament  was  to  prove  that  children  might  lawfully,  and 
could  acceptably,  and  were  most  assuredly  intended  to,  co-ope¬ 
rate  in  promoting  the  glory  and  in  advancing  the  cause  of  the 
Redeemer.  And  such  also  is  the  evident  import  of  other  facts 
and  passages  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  Children  were 
made  partakers  of  the  sacrament  of  circumcision,  and  of  the 
other  ordinances  of  the  Jewish  Church,  and  were  to  be  trained  up 
in  that  way  in  which,  when  old,  they  should  go,  that  when  old 


16 


they  might  not  depart  from  it.  And  so  are  children  now  conse¬ 
crated  to  God  by  baptism,  and  made  holy  to  Him,  and  soare  they 
now  to  be  brought  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 

It  is  true  that  the  agency  of  children  is  still  despised  by 
many.  Our  philosophy  has  gone  little  further  even  now  than 
to  increase  our  regard  for  the  prospective  interests  and  influence 
of  children.  We  hear  much  of  the  familiar  truth  that  “the  child 
is  the  father  of  the  man”  but  we  hear  little  of  the  more  important 
truth,  that  as  it  regards  all  spiritual  and  everlasting  interests,  and 
the  formation  of  unalterable  character  and  habits,  the  child  is 
already  a  man— for  in  this  view  what  is  man  but  a  child,  and 
what  is  life  but  a  childhood. 

We  are  as  yet  labouring  only  for  future  and  prospective  re¬ 
sults  in  our  religious  training  of  children. 

Very  few  even  at  this  day  expect  the  present  conversion  of 
their  children. 

Very  few  attach  any  great  value  to  the  present  services  and 
active  exertion  of  children. 

Many-— even  professors  of  religion,  and  in  some  cases  ministers 
of  the  gospel--oppose  all  direct  efforts  to  train  up  children  to  ac¬ 
tive  co-operation,  in  Christian  efforts  for  the  salvation  of  men.* 

The  spirit  generated  by  such  efforts  to  train  up  children  is 
regarded  by  some  as  self-righteous,  aid  by  others  as  promoting 
forwardness  and  rudeness  of  manner. 

Now  that  the  training  of  the  young  to  Christian  duty,  as  well 
as  to  Christian  knowledge,  may  be  followed  in  some  cases,  and  to 

*In  this  respect  how  much  more  reasonable  is  the  conduct  of  Protestants  than 
of  Romanists  !  “I  lately  asked  a  little  boy  of  eight  or  nine,”  says  a  Colporteur 
in  France,  “  whose  parents  are  Romanists,  and  who  attended  our  school  last 
year,  what  he  is  learning  at  the  school  of  the  friars.  ‘  Oh,  I  am  learning  to 
•  read  and  write,  answered  he.  And  what  besides  ?  ‘  To  play  at  nine-pins.’ 

But,  my  child,  God  has  not  told  us  to  learn  to  play  at  nine-pins  ;  don’t  you  re¬ 
member  what  the  word  of  God  says  ?  '  Oh,  they  never  tell  us  about  that  at 

school.’  Well,  my  child,  listen  to  me  :  when  you  go  to  school  to-morrow,  ask 
one  of  your  teachers,  or  the  curate,  whether  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  meant  to 
teach  children  to  play  at  nine-pins,  when  lie  said :  Suffer  little  children  to 
come  unto  me.  Two  days  after,  I  met  the  little  boy  coming  home  from  school. 
Did  you  ask  your  teacher  what  I  told  you  ?  ‘  Oh,  yes.’  And  what  did  he 

answer  1  ‘Nothing.’  What,  nothing  ?  ‘No:  he  took  up  his  ruler  and  gave 
me  three  good  blows  on  the  fingers ;  and  then  he  made  me  stay  on  my  knees 
for  punishment.’  ”  Such  is  the  way  in  which  Scripture  is  explained  by  the 
‘  Ignoranlin’  friars  at  S. 


17 


some  extent,  by  such  evil  results  is  true  but  that  such  evils  are 
in  themselves  necessary  and  unavoidable  is  not  true.  They 
need  not  follow.  In  multiplied  cases  they  have  not  followed. 
And  in  all  cases  they  may,  by  God’s  blessing,  be  prevented  as  it 
regards  Christian  practice  just  as  surely  as  it  regards  Christian 
doctrine,  for  the  human  heart  wrests  and  abuses  the  truths  it 
receives  just  as  much  as  it  does  the  duties  it  performs.  Such 
evils  are  incident  to  every  “  good  word  and  work”  and  may 
and  do  spring  luxuriantly  in  the  hot-bed  of  man’s  evil  heart  from 
the  preaching  of  the  truth,  from  the  administration  of  sacraments, 
and  from  every  other  Christian  privilege  and  duty.  The  only  ques¬ 
tion  then  which  can  decide  our  obligation  in  the  present  case  is — arc 
the  young  to  be  so  trained  and  brought  up  and  exercised?  Butitic 
most  manifest  that  this  is  not  a  question  of  expediency.  It  is  not 
a  debatable  matter.  It  is  a  plain  and  positive  duty  on  the 
part  of  God’s  Church,  as  it  is  the  plain  and  positive  appoint¬ 
ment  of  God  in  the  institution  of  that  church.  Of  children 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  to  be  in  a  good  measure  composed. 
They  are  to  be  discipled,  and  taught  all  things  whatsoever  Christ 
has  commanded.  They  are  to  be  trained  for  God,  and  just  in 
that  way  which  God  will  require  them  to  pursue  when  old  ;  they 
are  to  be  brought  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  ; 
and  out  of  their  mouths  God  has  ordained  strength  and  per- 
feet  praise. 

This  language  implies  at  once  a  command,  a  prophecy,  and 
a  promise.  Children  must  and  will  be  brought  up  to  active  co¬ 
operation  in  the  cause  of  Christian  missions.  The  agency  of 
children  will  yet  be  found  “  mighty  through  God.”  And 
when  the  church  realizes  this  truth,  and  acts  upon  it,  and  calcu¬ 
lates  and  relies  upon  the  efforts  of  the  young,  then  will  she  find 
herself  strong  enough  to  fulfil  her  great  commission  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature,  and  then  shall  every  knee  bow  and 
every  tongue  confess  that  Christ  is  Lord  to  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father. 

In  my  view,  one  of  the  most  hopeful  signs  of  the  times  is  the 
attention  paid  to  children,  and  the  increasing  efforts  made  to  edu¬ 
cate  them  in  a  missionary  spirit  and  for  missionary  efforts 
2 


18 


The  truth  contained  in  the  passages  of  Scripture  already  quo¬ 
ted,  and  which  has  so  long  been  buried  in  neglect,  is  now  forcing 
itself upon  the  consideration  of  Christians  of  every  denomination; 
and  it  will,  I  trust,  be  ere  long  acknowledged  that  the  great  aim 
of  every  Christian,  the  great  aim  of  every  Sabbath-school  teacher, 
and  the  great  aim  of  every  Christian  church  is,  to  educate  child¬ 
ren  for  Christ,  and  to  train  them  up  for  the  conversion  of  the  world. 

That  children — even  very  young  children,  are  capable  of  be¬ 
coming  intelligently  pious,  who  would  now  dare  to  question. 

“A  mother,”  says  a  Missionary,  “  who  had  brought  up  a  large 
family,  all  of  whom  had  become  hopefully  pious,  was  asked  what 
means  she  had  used  for  their  conversion.  She  replied,  “  I 
have  felt  that  if  not  converted  before  seven  or  eight  years  of  age, 
they  would  probably  be  lost ;  and  when  they  have  approached 
that  age,  have  been  in  agony  lest  they  should  pass  it  impeni¬ 
tent  ;  and  have  gone  to  the  Lord  with  my  anguish.  He  has  not 
turned  away  my  prayers  nor  his  mercy  from  me.”  Let  all  pray 
for  this:  “Arise,  cry  out  in  the  night ;  in  the  beginning  of  the 
watches  pour  out  thine  heart  like  water  before  the  face  of  the  Lord  ; 
lift  up  thy  hands  towards  him,  for  the  life  of  thy  young  children.” 
Hope  for  the  early  bestowment  of  divine  grace  from  such  pro¬ 
mises  as  this :  “  I  will  pour  my  Spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and  my 
blessing  upon  thine  offspring ;  and  they  shall  spring  up  as 
among  the  grass,  and  as  rivers  by  the  water-courses.  One  shall 
say,  I  am  the  Lord’s  ;  and  another  shall  call  himself  by  the 
name  of  Jacob  ;  and  another  shall  subscribe  with  his  hand  and  shall 
surname  himself  by  the  name  of  Israel.” 

The  late  Mrs.  Huntington,  writing  to  her  son,  says  her  biog¬ 
rapher,  “speaks  of  having  a  distinct  remembrance  of  a  solemn 
consultation  in  her  mind,  when  about  three  years  old,  whether  it  was 
best  to  be  a  Christian  then,  or  not,  and  of  having  come  to  the 
decision  that  it  was  not.”  The  biographies  of  Janeway,  and  nu¬ 
merous  others,  forbid  the  idea  that  religion  in  a  young  heart 
is  a  miracle,  and  show  that  parents  have  reason  to  be  anxious 
lest  their  youug  children  die  without  hope,  as  well  as  to  be  en¬ 
couraged  to  seek  their  early  conversion. 

The  first  great  demand  which  the  reconciled  God  makes  of  all, 
young  and  old,  is,  “Give  me  thy  heart !  or  “Love  me!”  and  the  second 
is  like  unto  it,  “Love  thy  wezgAJoMr  as  thyself.”  The  obligation  to 
support  missionary  societies,  apart  altogether  from  the  positive  com=. 
mission  of  our  Saviour,  naturally  flows  from  obedience  to  those 


divine  commands  which  even  the  lambs  of  the  flock  may  under¬ 
stand.  A  child  may  give  God  its  heart,  and  a  man  can  do  no 
more.  A  child  may  obey  the  precept,  “  love  thy  neigbour”  as 
purely,  though  not  in  the  same  measure  or  degree  as  the  man  of 
hoary  hairs. 

That  children  ought  therefore  at  once,  and  as  children,  to  give 
their  hearts  and  their  hands,  their  voices  and  their  labours  to  the 
cause  of  Christ  is  equally  plain  and  evident,  and  has  been,  I  trust, 
clearly  established.* 

The  coral  insect  buildeth  well 
Far  down  beneath  the  sea ; 

Chamber  on  chamber,  cell  on  cell. 

In  after-days  shall  be. 

The  work  shall  through  the  waters  burst> 

Like  walls  about  a  town, 

From  small  foundations,  that  at  first 
A  child  might  trample  down. 

Then  who  shall  say  but  little  hands. 

That  little  offerings  bring, 

May  houses  build  in  Eastern  lands 
For  God  our  heavenly  King. 

May  dwellings  build  for  thee,  O  Lord, 

In  hearts  like  mountain  stone  ; 

When  these  shall  hear  the  holy  word 
In  Christian  countries  known  ! 

But  it  is  said  that  before  any  one,  old  or  young,  can  contribute 
aright  to  missions,  or  co-operate  in  promoting  them,  the  love  of  the 
Saviour  must  first  be  felt  and  experienced  to  some  extent  in  that 
person’s  own  soul.  But  if  it  is  meant  that,  as  the  converted  alone 
can  judge  aright,  or  act  aright,  in  the  matter  of  missions,  that  the 
duty  of  supporting  them  should  be  urged  only  upon  them,  and  not 
upon  every  person,  then  is  such  reasoning  inconclusive.  It  may  no 
doubt  be  asked,  what  good  thing  can  any  one,  young  or  old,  do 
before  conversion  ?  I  answer  not  one.  Is  it  therefore  not  their 
duty  before  this  vital  and  momentous  change  takes  place,  to  do 
anything  good  ?  to  live  to  God’s  glory  ?  to  honour  his  ordinances  ? 
to  advance  his  cause  on  the  earth  ?  Is  it  wrong  in  ministers  or  in 
Sabbath-school  teachers,  before  this  great  era  in  a  person’s  life, 

*  See  the  author’s  discourse  on  the  duty  of  interesting  children  in  the  mi*» 
eionary  enterprizc,  and  the  way  in  which  this  is  to  be  done. 


20 


/  •» 


to  invite  and  urge  that  person  to  do  what  is  good  ?  to  obey  God’s- 
commandments  ?  I  maintain  that  it  is  not.  If  it  be  said  that  they 
are  unable  till  conversion  to  do  anything  which  is  good,  I  answer, 
“true,  but  still  God’s  command,  and  not  our  ability,  is  the  measure  of 
our  duty.”  Sinners,  young  or  old,  must  be  told  their  duty,  and  be 
allowed  an  opportunity  of  performing  it.  If  this  be  denied,  observe 
to  what  dreadful  consequences  it  would  lead.  The  unconverted, 
it  might  be  said,  cannot  read  the  Bible  aright,  that  is  in  faith,  “and 
whatsoever  is  not  of  faith  is  sin,”  therefore  the  duty  of  reading  it 
is  not  to  be  urged  upon  them  ;  nor  do  they  commit  sin  in  failing  to 
do  it.  The  unconverted  cannot  praise  God  aright  in  his  house  or 
elsewhere — nor  pray  to  him  aright — nor  hear  the  gospel  preached 
aright.  Such  persons  therefore  should  not  be  exhorted,  nor  have 
the  opportunity  to  praise  God,  or  pray  to  him,  or  listen  to  the  gospel  T 
Such  are  the  consequences  of  admitting  that  man’s  inahility,  (which 
is  sinful  and  voluntary,)  is  to  form  an  excuse  for  the  non-performance 
of  his  duty,  or  for  not  exhorting  him  to  the  performance  of  it. 
But  we  must  sternly  resist  such  an  admission.  The  opinion  of 
the  pious  and  judicious  Boston  on  this  point  deserves  consideration. 
•“If,”  says  that  excellent  writer,  “  we  be  under  an  utter  inability 
to  do  any  good,  how  can  God  require  us  to  do  it  ?”  And  he 
answers,  “  God  making  man  upright,  (Eccles.  vii.  29,)  gave  him 
a  power  to  do  everything  that  he  should  require  of  him.  This 
power  man  lost  by  his  own  fault.  We  were  bound  to  serve  God, 
and  do  whatever  he  commanded  us,  as  being  his  creatures ;  and 
also,  we  were  under  the  superadded  tie  of  a  covenant  for  that 
purpose.  Now  we,  having  by  our  own  fault  disabled  ourselves, 
shall  God  lose  his  right  of  requiring  our  task  because  we  have 
thrown  away  the  strength  he  gave  us  whereby  to  perform  it  ? 
Has  the  creditor  no  right  to  require  payment  of  his  money  because 
the  debtor  has  squandered  it  away,  and  is  not  able  to  pay  him 
The  same  author  says,  “Do  what  you  can,  and  it  may  be  while 
you  are  doing  what  you  can  for  yourselves,  God  will  do  for  you 
what  you  cannot.  ‘Understandest  thou  what  thou  readest  V  said 
Philip  to  the  eunuch.  ‘  How  can  I,’  said  he,  ‘except  some  man 
should  guide  me,’  Acts  viii.  30,  31.  He  could  not  understand  the 
Scripture  he  read ;  yet  he  could  read  it.  He  did  what  he  could 


21 


— he  read ;  and  while  he  was  reading,  God  sent  him  an  inter¬ 
preter.” 

The  mere  fact,  then,  of  the  majority  of  our  children,  or  even 
the  whole  of  them,  being  unconverted,  is  not  a  sufficient  reason 
to  excuse  even  them  from  the  performance  of  any  commanded  duty, 
far  less  those  of  them  who  are  really  the  children  of  God ; 
and  consequently  cannot  justify  their  teachers  or  parents  in  failing 
to  give  all  an  opportunity  of  supporting  missions,  or  in  refusing 
to  exhort  and  entreat  all,  in  the  fullest  and  most  unqualified  terms, 
to  love  God,  and  to  keep  his  commandments,  under  pain  of  being 
numbered  at  last  among  “the  wicked,  who  shall  be  turned  into 
hell,  and  all  the  nations  that  forget  God.” 

Either  therefore,  children  are  incapable  of  praying,  or  they 
are  capable  of  acting.  Either  they  ought  not  to  be  taught  to  pray 
or  they  ought  to  be  taught  to  act.  The  coming  of  God’s  kingdom 
is  to  be  in  return  to  labours,  and  not  merely  in  answer  to  prayer. 
You  are  not  to  say  thy  kingdom  come,  and  then  look  up,  as  if 
you  expected  God  to  send  down  angels  and  bibles  from  heaven  to 
aid  in  the  propagation  of  the  gospel.  You  must  remember,  that 
while  it  is  God’s  work  to  hless  the  gospel,  it  is  man’s  work  to  preach 
the  gospel ;  while  it  is  God’s  work  to  prosper  the  preachers  of 
the  gospel,  it  is  men’s  work  to  send  the  preachers  of  the  gospel — 
for  “  how  shall  the  heathen  call  on  Him  in  whom  they  have  not 
believed  ?  and  how  shall  they  believe  on  Him  of  whom  they  have 
not  heard  1  and  how  shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher  ?  and  how 
shall  they  preach  except  they  be  sent  ?” 

Understand,  then,  dear  readers,  young  and  old,  what  you  really 
mean  when  you  pray  that  God’s  kingdom  may  come.  If  you  pray 
for  the  coming  of  God’s  kingdom,  and  do  nothing  for  its  coming, 
you  are  praying  for  your  own  destruction. 

Every  one  of  you  is  either  a  helper  or  an  obstacle  to  the  advance¬ 
ment  of  Christ’s  cause,  and,  meanwhile,  you  are  either  learning  how 
to  help  or  how  to  hinder  the  gospel.  Christ  says,  “  He  that  is  not 
with  me  is  against  me.”  In  the  eyes  of  Christ,  then,  every 
one  of  you,  who  is  not  an  auxiliary,  is  an  obstacle  to  the  coming 
of  His  kingdom ;  and  every  prayer  for  its  coming,  is  a 
prayer  for  the  destruction  of  obstacles.  Beware,  then,  lest, 


22 


when  you  offer  up  this  prayer,  you  be  found  praying  for  your  t)Wn 
removal  out  of  the  way,  that  your  place  may  be  filled  by  some  one 
more  dutiful  than  you.  Remember,  that  your  only  safety  con¬ 
sists  in  being  sincerely  on  the  side  of  Christ.  For  though  you 
should  cease  to  pray  others  will  not.  While  a  single  Christian 
lives,  these  prayers  will  still  be  going  up  to  heaven,  and  sooner  or 
later  they  will  all  be  fully  answered,  Satan’s  kingdom  will  be  de¬ 
stroyed — and  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  become  the  kingdoms 
of  our  God  and  of  his  Christ. 

God  is,  we  believe,  preparing  the  earth  as  a  scene  of  mighty 
action  for  the  rising  generation.  ‘^Out  of  their  mouths  He  will 
perfect  praise”  and  through  their  efforts  “He  will  ordain  strength 
— yea  strength  which  “shall  still  the  enem^  and  the  avenger.” 

A  few  years  ago,  and  the  idea  of  enlisting  the  young  in  foreign 
missionary  enterprise  was  -unknow.n,  and  the  success  of  the  scheme 
doubtful,  because  untried.  Its  propriety,  however,  is  now  as  uni¬ 
versally  admitted,  as  its  prosperity  has  been  the  subject  of  praise 
and  gratitude  to  God.  Everywhere  throughout  the  British 
Christian  Church  has  the  experiment  been  made,  and  almost 
every  attempt  has  been  crowned  with  the  best  results.  A  few 
of  those  instances  may  be  mentioned.  Last  year,  the  London 
Missionary  Society  intimated  their  intention  of  purchasing  a  new 
and  improved  Missionary  ship  to  convey  their  Missionaries  from 
England  to  the  South  Seas,  and  then  to  be  employed  in  that  mighty 
ocean  in  carrying  them  about  from  island  to  island.  The  sum 
required  was  very  large — upwards  of  #150,000  ;  but  they  were 
■sanguine  of  success.  They  appealed  to  the  Sabbath  scholars  of 
England,  and  that  amount  was  collected  by  them  before  the  lapse 
of  many  weeks.  The  name  she  received  was  “The  John  Wil¬ 
liams,”  in  memory  of  a  devoted  Missionary  who,  a  few  years  since, 
fell  a  martyr  in  these  very  islands.  She  was  of  296  tons  burden, 
103  feet  long,  and  24  feet  broad,  and  sailed  from  the  docks  of  London 
last  summer,  a  living  monument  of  “the  mighty  power  of  littles.” 

In  addition  to  the  exertions  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  those 
ot  various  other  societies  might  be  named.  In  connection  with  the 
Ghurch  of  England,  a  juvenile  Missionary  society  has  been  es¬ 
tablished,  and  a  considerable  amount  is  annually  received.  The 


23 


Wesleyan  Methodists  have  here,  as  in  all  other  Missionary  enter* 
prises,  exhibited  a  noble  example.  During  the  last  year,  their  ju* 
venile  contributions  amounted  to  about  £4000  (820,000  ;)  and 
for  the  last  four  years,  their  total  juvenile  offerings  have  reached 
no  less  a  sum  than  £15,000  (870,000).  The  Primitive  Methodists, 
-also,  have  embarked  in  the  cause.  A  Missionary,  entirely  support¬ 
ed  by  Sabbath  scholars,  has,  we  believe,  been  lately  sent  out  to  Aus¬ 
tralia — the  Missionary  as  well  as  his  youthful  contributors,  being 
connected  with  that  denomination.  Among  the  Baptists,  likewise, 
juvenile  exertion  has  been  largely  displayed.  A  Missionary  ship, 
named  ‘‘The  Dove,”  has  been  built  by  the  contributions  of  the 
young — and  not  satisfied  with  this,  they,  last  year,  collected  the 
sum  of  82,500  for  the  expenses  of  the  vessel,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  promised  to  collect  fora  similar  purpose  during  the  present 
year.  The  United  Secession  Church  and  the  Free  Church  of  Scot¬ 
land  also  derive  considerable  revenue  from  the  same  source. 

These  cheering  accounts  augur  well  for  the  prosperity  of 
Missions  in  future  years.  Beginning  with  the  young,  the  Church 
at  large  is  now  securing,  so  far  as  human  means  can  do,  the 
perpetuation  and  increase  of  a  Missionary  spirit  among  all  ranks 
and  classes  of  the  people.  The  attempt  has  been  followed  with 
unparalleled  success — a  foretaste,  we  trust,  of  what  another  gen¬ 
eration  will  not  only  attempt  but  achieve. 

There  are  many  collateral  advantages,  besides  those  which  di¬ 
rectly  appear,  attending  the  interest  in  the  work  of  Missions,  now 
excited  in  the  juvenile  mind.  In  the  words  of  Dr.  Phillip,  of 
Cape  Town,  himself  an  honoured  agent  in  the  cause  :  “It  is  not 
the  amount  of  the  sums  collected,  large  though  these  be,  to  which 
the  greatest  importance  should  be  attached ;  but  to  the  effects  of  it 
on  the  minds  of  the  rising  generation,  and  of  generations  yet  to 
come.  To  enlist  the  sympathies  of  youth  in  this  manner  in  the 
cause  of  missions,  is  to  prepare  their  hearts  for  the  saving  reception 
of  the  gospel ;  it  is  training  their  minds  to  greatness,  by  bringing 
before  them  and  accustoming  them  to  meditate  on  the  greatest  of 
all  interests  ;  it  furnishes  parents  with  the  best  aids  of  which  they 
can  avail  themselves  for  evangelizing  the  souls  of  their  children 
while  it  is  training  up  young  soldiers  for  the  Captain  of  our  salvation/’ 


^6 


24 

The  gifts  of  the  young,  be  it  also  remembered,  are  additions  to  the 
gifts  of  those  who  are  older  and  abler  than  themselves.  But  this  is 
not  all ;  the  givings  of  a  man  of  thirty,  or  forty,  or  fifty  years,  will 
be  larger  if  he  has  been  giving  to  the  cause  of  Christ  since  he 
was  a  child,  than  if  he  had  never  given  anything  to  that  cause 
till  he  had  attained  to  manhood  :  just  as  we  should  expect  a  grown¬ 
up  man  to  play  much  better  on  a  flute  or  violin,  or  some  other 
instrument  of  music,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  it  all  his  days, 
than  if  he  had  never  taken  it  into  his  hand  till  he  had  reached  the 
prime  of  life.  The  man  who  was  a  musician  when  he  was  a  boy, 
Vv^ill  be  a  much  better  musician  when  he  becomes  a  man,  than  if  he 
had  delayed  all  practice  of  music  until  he  had  become  a  man  of  full 
age  ;  and  so  the  man  of  years  who  gave  to  missions  when  he  was 
a  child,  has  not  only  added  his  juvenile  gifts  to  the  missionary  treas¬ 
ury,  but  he  has  added  to  his  willingness,  and  his  desire  to  give, 
and  to  his  happiness  in  giving.  A  kind  heart  likes  to  use  an  open 
hand  ;  and  the  longer  the  heart  has  tasted  its  own  kindness,  and 
made  others  taste  it,  the  more  cheerfully  will  it  open  the  hand ; 
and,  therefore,  if  you  would  train  men  to  be  warm-hearted  and  open- 
handed  friends  of  missions,  enlist  them  in  the  work,  heart  and 
hand,  from  their  earliest  years. 

We  are  happy  to  think  that  the  juvenile  friends  of  missions  are 
at  this  day,  by  thus  preparing  themselves,  doing  much  for  the  cause 
of  missions  in  time  to  come.  They  are  doing  much  for  the  mis¬ 
sionary  cause  in  the  present  generation,  and  they  are  learning  to 
do  much  more  for  it  in  the  next  generation.  The  seed  they  are  now 
sowing  will  bring  forth  a  crop  in  those  that  follow  them  in  some 
thirty  in  some  sixty,  and  in  some,  an  hundred  fold.’’ 

But  let  not  the  young  look  to  the  future,  or  rest  in  it.  You 
must  look,  my  young  friends,  more  at  present  duty,  than  at  dis¬ 
tant  prospects.  You  must  look  more  at  what  God  is  doing,  and 
has  done  already,  to  open  up  a  way  for  Christian  missions,  than 
even  at  what  He  may  do  when  you  are  grown  in  years,  and  influ¬ 
ence.  Although  the  church  has  failed  to  occupy  the  fields  pre¬ 
viously  opened,  God  is  setting  open  new  fields  before  her  eyes,  and 
saying  to  her,  “  behold,  the  fields  are  already  white  unto  the 
liarvest ;  the  harvest  truly  is  plenteous,  but  the  labourers  are  few.’^ 


23 


China  is  open,  West  Africa  is  open,  and  among  our  own  coloured 
population,  a  wide  and  effectual  door  is  open.  Now  then  is 
your  time.  God  is  saying  to  every  one  of  you,  in  words  of  love 
and  of  command,  in  words  of  great  haste,  “  Son,  go  work  this 
day  in  my  vineyard.”  You  must  not  delay  one  day.  “The  night 
cometh,  when  no  man  can  work.”  While  you  have  life,  it  is  your 
proper  work  to  praise  and  glorify  God — and  you  can  do  so  in  earth, 

m 

in  a  way  in  which  you  will  not  be  able  to  do  even  in  heaven. 
You  cannot  praise  God  among  the  heathen,  excepting  in  the  present 
world.  “  The  grave  cannot  praise  God.  Death  cannot  celebrate 
Him.  They  that  go  down  to  the  pit  cannot  hope  for  His  truth. 
The  living,  the  living,  he  shall  praise  Him.”  Now,  then,  is 
your  time.  You  must  not  wait  till  you  become  men  and  women. 
While  you  are  waiting  the  heathen  are  dying. 

In  New  Zealand,  an  old  man,  speaking  of  the  need  of  mission¬ 
aries,  said  Make  haste — make  haste,  my  sun  is  fast  going  down 
When  Mr.  Jones,  an  English  missionary,  was  about  to  return 
from  the  scene  of  his  labours,  one  of  the  North  American  In¬ 
dians  sent  with  him  this  message  to  England,  showing,  by  his 
gestures,  while  he  spoke,  how  deeply  he  was  in  earnest,  “  Tell 
them  to  make  haste ;  time  is  short,  and  death  is  snatching  away 
our  friends  and  relations  very  fast.  Tell  them  to  make 
HASTE.’*  The  same  cry  of  haste  comes  from  every  quarter. 
When  the  great  missionary,  Williams,  was  entreated  by  a  South 
Sea  chief  to  bring  his  wife  and  family  to  live  and  die  on  his 
island,  and  to  tell  them  about  Jehovah  and  the  love  of  Christ,  Mr. 
Williams  said:  “my  proposition  is,  that  I  return  immediately, 
to  my  native  country,  and  inform  my  brother  Christians  of  your 
anxiety  to  be  instructed.”  “Well,”  replied  the  chieftain,  “go, 
go  with  speed — obtain  all  the  missionaries  you  can,  and  come 
again  as  soon  as  possible ;  but  we  shall  be  dead — many  of  us 
will  he  dead  before  you  return.”  “  There  was,”  says  Williams, 
‘^'something  thrillingly  affecting  in  the  above  expression.” 
You  must  then  make  haste,  not  only  because  you  are  dying,  but 
because  the  heathen  are  dying.  Your  opportunity  of  doing 
good,  and  their  opportunity  of  getting  good  is  passing  away 
forever.  Next  to  the  sin  of  neglecting  your  own  salvation,  is 


26 


% 


the  sin  of  neglecting  theirs.  Think  what  a  disgrace  before  God  it 
-must  be,  to  spend  a  life,  however  short,  and  to  go  out  of  time 
into  eternity,  ^without  having  done  something  to  lessen  the  a« 
mount  of  crime  and  misery  that  oppress  this  world.  Begin  your 
life,  then,  and  end  it,  with  these  words  often  before  your  minds, 
^‘Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might,  for 

there  is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor  wisdom,  in  the 

» 

grave  whither  thou  gosst.” 

There  are  some  people  who  speak  rather  contemptuously  of 
the  present  age ;  they  say  it  is  not  an  age  of  great  men — that 
it  is  deficient  in  originality.  As  to  its  not  being  an  age  of  great 
men,  we  remark,  that  most  persons  seem  to  mistake  what  true 
greatness  is,  and  account  it  the  same  thing  as  great  strength  of 
mind.  Now,  without  stopping  to  show  that  this  age  is  remark¬ 
able  for  intellectual  power,  manifesting  itself  in  every  branch 
of  science  and  of  art,  and  in  every  kind  of  writing,  we  observe, 
that  the  highest  form  of  greatness  is  moral  excellence,  and  that 
the  richest  display  of  such  excellence,  is  when  it  is  seen  en¬ 
tirely  consecrated  to  the  promotion  of  the  Redeemer’s  glory,  in 
connection  with  the  salvation  of  immortal  souls.  And  if  so,  then 
the  present  age,  which  is  most  truly  an  age  of  missions,  and  has 
produced  a  Carey,  a  Martyn,  a  Morrison,  a  Williams,  a  Moffat, 
and  a  host  of  others  like  them,  is,  notwithstanding  all  that  has 
been  said  to  the  contrary,  an  age  of  truly  great  men. 

The  present  age,  they  tell  us,  is  deficient  in  originality.  With¬ 
out  entering  on  a  full  discussion  of  this  point,  we  maintain  that 
in  some  respects  the  age  we  live  in  is  vastly  more  original  than 
any  former  one  ;  and  in  proof  of  this,  we  appeal  to  the  varied 
schemes  of  Christian  usefulness  that  have  been  devised,  and  es¬ 
pecially  to  those  the  most  recent  of  all,  which  are  bringing  the 
sympathies  and  energies  of  the  young  into  vigorous  and  health- 
ful  operation.  If  we  ourselves  are  little  men,  we  are  doing 
what  we  can  to  form  great  ones,  and  we  are  somewhat  confident, 
that  the  next  generation  will  comprehend  an  unusually  large 
proportion  of  illustrious  characters. 

We  say,  then,  to  the  dear  young  friends  who  peruse  these 
pages — we  expect  great  things  of  you,  and  that,  when  we  have 


27 


TBtired  from  the  scene,  you  will  fill  our  places  to  far  better  pur¬ 
pose.  But  this  is  not  all ; — we  expect  not  only  that  you  will  do 
great  things  hereafter,  but  also  that  you  will  begin  to  attempt 
them  now  ;  and  we  are  encouraged  to  this  by  the  consideration  of 
what  you  have  already  accomplished. 

Young  friends  of  missions,  thank  God  and  take  courage!  You 
are  already  great,  and  you  are  increasing  every  day  in  number. 
God  alone  can  know  the  good  arising  out  of  your  new  and  happy 
movement  in  the  cause  of  missions.  Think  of  the  good  it  will 
do  to  others  ;  and  remember,  it  cannot  but  prove  an  infinite 
blessing  to  yourselves,  for  Christ  has  said,  “It  is  more  blessed  to 
give  than  to  receive.’’ 

And  you  that  are  adults,  with  what  a  trumpet-voice  does  this 
purpose  of  God  speak  to  Christian  parents,  teachers  and  ministers. 
For,  if  “God  has  ordained  this  strength — out  of  the  mouths  of 
babes  and  sucklings”  then  upon  you  devolves  the  duty  of  develop¬ 
ing  and  perfecting  this  strength  by  suitable  training,  nurture,  ad¬ 
monition  and  exercise.  And  the  real  source  of  the  past  weakness 
and  inefficiency  of  the  church,  and  the  present  feebleness,  tim¬ 
idity  and  covetousness  of  Christians  will  be  found,  as  has  been 
said,  in  the  fact  that  if  we  look  upon  the  children  of  Christian 
parents,  who  have  professed  to  dedicate  their  all  to  God  we  find 
.that  to  a  great  extent,  they  have  neglected  to  educate  their  offspring 
for  the  express  purpose  of  serving  Christ  in  the  advancement  of  his 
kingdom.  Said  a  Christian  mother,  whose  heart  is  deeply  inter¬ 
ested  in  this  subject,  “I  fear  that  many  of  us  think  that  parental 
duty  is  limited  to  labors  for  the  salvation  of  our  children  ;  that  we 
prayed  for  them  only  that  they  may  be  saved  ;  instructed  them 
cnly  that  they  may  be  saved.  Infinitely  important,  indeed,  it  is, 
that  they  should  be  saved.  But  if  ardent  desires  for  the  glory  of 
our  Redeemer  and  the  salvation  of  souls  glowed  in  our  hearts  like 
an  inextinguishable  .flame,  our  most  earnest  prayers,  from  their 
very  birth,  would  be,  that  they  might  not  only  be  saved  themselves, 
but  be  instrumental  in  saving  others. 

The  present  generation  assuredly  cannot  go  forward  and  en- 
ter  the  promised  inheritance.  We  must  remain  and  die  in  the 
wilderness ;  and  in  order  to  “  have  a  mind  to  work,”  and  a  heart 
lo  “count  not  even  life  dear  to  them”  the  young  must  be  trained 


in  the  principles  and  spirit  of  Christian  self-denial  and  effort  for 
the  evangelization  of  the  world.  The  duty  is  plain  and  impera¬ 
tive,  and  cannot  be  overlooked  without  crying  guilt  and  shame. 
And  as  the  family  is  the  primary  School  of  the  Christian  Church , 
every  parent  must  bring  up  his  own  children  in  this  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord.  Parents  must  aim  at  more  than  the 
conversion  of  their  children.  They  must  devote  them  to  the  service 
and  glory  of  God.  This  must  be  the  first  great  object  of  desire, 
and  sought  as  the  first  great  and  all-important  end.  It  must, 
therefore,  be  made  to  appear  to  our  children  that  this  object  is 
OUR  first,  and  great  desire  and  aim,  and  the  object  of  our  su¬ 
preme  regard,  both  as  it  regards  ourselves  and  them. 

This  also  must  be  The  great  aim”*  of  every  Sabbath  School, 
and  of  all  the  means  employed  by  the  Church,  for  the  purpose  of 
teaching  those  who  have  been  discipled  by  baptism,  according  to 
the  command  of  Christ,  ‘‘  all  things  whatsoever  He  has  command¬ 
ed  them.” 

“Christian  parents,  teachers,  ministers  and  elders,  are  you  hoping, 
praying,  and  labouring  for  the  conversion  of  the  world  ?  Do  your 
hearts  thrill  with  the  crowding  signs  of  great  events  to  come  ? 
In  your  hands,  under  God,  is  the  fulcrum  on  which  the  scale  shall 
turn.  On  you,  as  instruments,  rests  the  responsibility  of  furnish¬ 
ing  and  disciplining  the  soldiers  of  Christ,  and  thus  of  deciding 
whether  victory  or  defeat  awaits  the  Church.  On  you  rests  the 
destiny  not  only  of  the  hundreds  of  millions  now  living  in  heath¬ 
enism,  but  of  the  generation  that  is  crowding  upon  the  scene  of  ac¬ 
tion.  Be  entreated  to  be  faithful  to  your  trust,  and  train  your  chil¬ 
dren  to  save  the  world.” 

“Christian  parent,  do  you  love  the  God  who  made  you  ? — the 
Saviour  who  redeemed  you  the  Church  to  which  you  have  con¬ 
secrated  your  all  ?  How  then  can  you  fail  to  train  solely  for  that 
God,  that  Saviour,  that  Church,  the  children  God  has  given  you? 
Hear  the  voice  of  the  Redeemer ;  he  calls  you  each  by  name, 
“Lovest  thou  me?”  Does  your  soul  answer,  “Yea,  Lord!” — 
then  heed  your  Saviour’s  message,  “Feed  my  Lambs. ”f 

*  See  the  work  under  this  title  published  by  the  A.  S.  S.  Union. 

t  Procure  two  very  fine  Tracts,  issued  by  the  Am.  Tract  Society,  Children 
to  be  educated  for  Christ,”  and,  “  Training  Children  for  the  Conversion  of  the 
World.”  Also,  Dr.  Scudders’  Appeal  to  Mothers. 


29 


APPENDIX. 


A  MISSIONARY  LESSON  FOR  THE  YOUNG. 

PART  I. 

A  GRAIN  of  corn,  an  infant’s  hand 
May  plant  upon  an  inch  of  land, 

Whence  twenty  stalks  should  rise  and  yield 
Enough  to  stock  a  little  field. 

The  harvest  of  that  field  might  then 
Be  multiplied  to  ten  times  ten. 

Which,  sown  thrice  more,  would  furnish  bread 
Wherewith  an  army  might  be  fed. 

PART  II. 

A  penny  is  a  little  thing, 

Which  e’en  a  poor  man’s  child  may  fling 
Into  the  treasury  of  heaven. 

And  make  it  worth  as  much  as  seven. 

As  seven  !  nay,  worth  its  weight  in  gold, 

And  that  increased  a  million-fold  ; 

For,  lo  !  a  'penny  tract,  if  well. 

Applied,  may  save  a  soul  from  hell ! 

That  soul  can  scarce  be  saved  alone  ; 

It  must,  it  will,  its  bliss  make  known ; 

‘‘Come,”  it  will  cry,  “and  you  shall  see 
What  great  things  God  hath  done  for  me.’^ 

Hundreds  that  jojTful  sound  may  hear  ; 

Hear  with  the  heart  as  well  as  ear  ; 

And  these  to  thousands  more  proclaim 
Salvation  in  “the  only  Name.” 

That  “only  Name,”  above,  below, 

'  Let  Jews,  and  Turks,  and  Pagans  know,. 

Till  every  tongue  and  tribe  shall  call 
On  Jesus  Christ,  as  Lord  of  all. 

PART  III. 

The  “day  of  small  things,”  God  will  not 
Despise  ;  the  least  are  unforgot. 

An  orphan’s  off ’ring,  widow’s  mite. 

Are  precious  in  their  Maker’s  sight. 

Children  I  who  now  hosannas  raise. 

Out  of  whose  mouths  He  perfects  praise, 

Spare,  from  the  little  you  possess. 

What  God  will  own,  accept,  and  bless  ; 

Till  through  the  east,  the  south,  the  west, 

Gifts  from  the  north  will  be  so  blest. 

That,  in  the  end,  earth’s  countless  throngs 
Shall  sing  with  us  this  song  of  songs * 


Worthy  the  Lamb,  for  sinners  slain, 

Power,  riches,  honour  to  obtain 

Who  loved,  and  washed  us  in  His  blood, 

And  made  us  kings  and  priests  to  God  ! 

James  Montgomert. 


PRAYER  FOR  CONVERSION. 

They  tell  me,  that  beyond  the  seas, 

In  distant  heathen  lands, 

The  people  worship  idols  still. 

The  work  of  human  hands. 

They  never  heard  of  Jesus  Christ, 

And  all  his  dying  love ; 

They  fear  not  hell  below,  nor  care 
For  joys  of  heaven  above. 

Oh,  what  a  wretched  state  is  theirs  T 
How  sad,  no  tongue  can  say  ! 

But  am  I  wiser  let  me  ask. 

Or  better  off  than  they  ? 

What  is  the  use  of  all  I  know 
Of  God’s  most  holy  word. 

Unless  my  heart  be  changed,  and  brought 
To  know  and  love  the  Lord. 

If  I  delight  in  earthly  things, 

Instead  of  God  alone; 

I  worship  idols  just  as  they 
Who  bow  to  wood  and  stone. 

Since  then  I  am  by  nature  born 
Like  other  sons  of  men, 

O  grant  that  by  thy  Spirit,  Lord, 

I  may  be  born  again. 


TO  A  COLLECTOR  OF  SMALL  CONTRIBUTIONS. 

Though  trifling  in  your  eye 
The  little  mite  appear, 

Yet  to  my  charming  words 
A  moment  lend  your  ear. 

Look  on  the  mighty  deep, 

And  contemplate  the  sea ; 

If  ’twere  not  for  the  drops. 

Where  would  its  vastness  be  ? 

Behold  the  emerald  field, 

Where  sheep  and  oxen  feed ; 

If  ’twere  not  for  the  blades. 

Say,  where  would  be  the  mead! 

The  oak  its  shelter  gives. 

When  flocks  from  tempests  flee  ; 

But  if  the  leaves  were  gone. 

Where  would  the  shelter  be  ? 


31 


The  pmooth  extended  strand, 

That  checks  the  roaring  deep  : 

Say,  if  the  grains  were  gone, 

Where  would  the  billows  sweep  ? 

Were  little  words  despised, 

How  could  a  book  appear  ? 

How  would  a  preacher  preach, 

Or  how  his  hearers  hear  ? 

Despise  not  then  the  pence. 

They  help  to  make  the  pound  ; 

And  each  may  help  to  spread  abroad 
The  gospel’s  joyful  sound  ! 


“SUFFER  LITTLE  CHILDREN  TO  COME  UNTO  ME.’* 

I  hoar  a  voice  around,  below. 

From  meadow,  flower,  and  tree. 

That  speaks  where  gentle  rivers  flow, 

And  murmurs  in  the  sea. 

It  cries  amid  the  desert’s  gloom. 

Howls  wildly  in  the  storm, 

Rejoices  in  the  woodland’s  bloom, 

Awakes  at  dawn  of  morn. 

Faint  now  the  charm  it  yields  to  me, 

A  sweeter  voice  has  called 
My  soul  away  from  vanity — 

No  more  by  earth  bethralled. 

‘Tis  Jesus  calls,  I  hear  his  voice 
Within  the  Holy  Word  ; 

In  Him  my  soul  shall  now  rejoice. 

My  only  sovereign  Lord. 

“Let  little  children  come  to  me,” 

I  hear  the  Saviour  say  ;  • 

Then  haste  my  soul,  He  calls  for  thee, 

Oh,  haste  thee  fast  away  ! 

“He  calls  for  thee,  no  longer  live 
On  dream  oft  vain  though  bright, 

Of  lengthened  years,  dear  child,  but  give 
Your  soul  to  Christ  this  night ! 

“And  Oh  !  forget  not  those  who  lie 
In  chains  of  darkness  bound, 

A  prey  to  Satan’s  enmity, 

Who  hear  no  Gospel  sound. 

“In  earth’s  fair  climes,  yet  still  unblest, 

Go  forth  to  them  in  love — 

Oh  tell  them  of  a  Saviour’s  rest, 

Of  joy,  through  Him,  above !” 


BASKET  OF  FRAGMENTS. 

"WILL  YOU  GO  TO  THE  HEATHEN  ? 

The  Command.  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  &:c.  Mark  xvi.  15r 

The  Douht.  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?  2  Cor  ii.  6. 

The  Assurance.  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee.  2  Cor.  xii.  9* 

The  Response.  Here  am  I ;  send  me.  Isaiah  vi.  8. 

Rev.  H.  Venn^s  appeal  to  the  Universities. 

“When  the  student  has  completed  his  academical  studies,  and  re¬ 
volves  in  his  mind  the  anxious  question,  How  can  I  best  consecrate 
my  talents  to  the  glory  of  God  and  to  the  good  of  my  fellow  crea¬ 
tures  ?  where  can  I  best  make  my  pound  to  gain  ten  pounds  ?  let 
the  missionary  field  of  labour  be  contemplated,  and  compared 
with  those  prospects  which  a  curacy,  or  educational  pursuits,  or  it 
may  be  a  rural  incumbency,  present  to  the  mind.” — Present  Po¬ 
sition,  d^c.  of  C.  M.  S.,  1846. 

Examples. — David  Braineed.  “I  have  no  notion  of  joy  from 
this  world  ;  I  care  not  how  or  where  I  live,  or  what  hardships  I 
go  through,  so  that  I  may  but  win  souls  to  Christ.” — Life.,  p.  139. 

Henry  Martyn.  “  How  many  hundreds  of  millions  of  souls 
lying  in  heathen  darkness  there  are !  how  many  millions  of  heathen 
souls  professing  Christ !  how  few  preach  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  ! 
how  few  among  them  are  willing  to  go  out  to  visit  the  deserts  of 
paganism  ! — Adieu  folly  and  sloth  !  I  will  be,  through  grace,  the 
servant  of  Christ ;  and  the  little  I  can  do  for  India,  I  will.” — Jour¬ 
nals  i.  334. 

The  Conclusion.  Go,  and  do  thou  likewise.  Luke  x.  37. 


MOTIVES  TO  LIBERALITY  IN  THE  MISSIONARY  CAUSE. 

1.  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.  2.  It  shall  be  paid 
with  interest. — There  is  that  scatter eth,  and  yet  increaseth.  3.  The 
example  is  good  to  others. — Your  zeal  hath  provoked  many.  4. 
By  it  the  Gospel  is  preached  to  the  heathen  for — How  shall  they 
preach  except  they  be  sent  ?  5.  It  is  to  the  Lord. — He  that  hath  yity 

upon  the  poor  lendeth  to  the  Lord.  6.  It  is  pleasing  to  God. — God 
loveth  a  cheerful  giver.  7.  It  is  like  Christ. — He  gave  himself  for  us. 

CHRISTMAS  JUVENILE  OFFERINGS. 

We  always  like  to  tell  our  young  friends  good  news  ;  and  it 
now  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  inform  them  that  the  collection  for 
the  “  Juvenile  Offering,”  last  Christmas,  amounts  to  j£5,000. 
There  would  have  been  much  more  money  got,  if  the  weather 
had  not  been  so  cold ;  in  many  places  the  children  were  not 
able  to  get  out  for  the  snow.  If  our  young  collectors  will  try 
and  think  how  much  good  may  be  done  with  this  five  thousand 
pounds,  how  many  children  may  be  taught  to  read,  and  how 
many  souls  will  be  saved  from  hell  by  the  preaching  of  the  Mis¬ 
sionaries  whom  it  will  keep,  then  they  will  be  well  rewarded  for 
their  trouble  and  have  good  interest  for  their  money. — Wesl.  Mis. 


